Isn’t this a weird time to be alive? For the last 18 months, we have been on a curvy road of sharp turns, narrow shoulders, and limited visibility. The pressure has been palpable no matter your situation.
But guess what? We’re still at the wheel, and each day we can take comfort in the fact that many of us are on the same, sometimes scary, road. It’s easy to feel alone and lonely in whatever you’re facing.
Today, I want you to remember that you are not alone. Whatever it is you’re feeling, I can guarantee that someone else is feeling it too. My encouragement to you is avoid being an island as you try to navigate all of the complex situations and emotions that are a result of the continuing uncertainty.
We are built to connect with others, to learn from them, to help and serve them, and to feel the collective comfort of knowing that we aren’t the only ones driving forward in the face of adversity.
I love this advice from Anne Lamott’s book on writing, Bird by Bird, that seems to apply perfectly for where many of us find ourselves today:
“E.L. Doctorow once said that 'Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.' You don't have to see where you're going, you don't have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.”
What’s your two or three feet ahead for today?
The courage is in staying at the wheel, in reaching out to others when you need to, and in remembering that you don’t have to figure it all out today.
Wishing all of us straighter paths ahead.
